TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane Beryl remained a powerful Category 5 storm Tuesday morning. Max Defender 8 meteorologist Leigh Spann said Beryl is the strongest storm on record this early in the season. Its winds intensified by 95 mph in just 48 hours. The hurricane is moving toward the west-northwest near 22 mph and is forecast to continue to move west-northwest over the next few days before turning westward by Thursday. It currently has maximum sustained winds of 165 mph. On the forecast track, the National Hurricane Center said Beryl will move quickly across the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea on Tuesday. It is forecast to pass near Jamaica on Wednesday and the Cayman Islands on Thursday. Meteorologists said Beryl is expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica on Wednesday. A hurricane watch was also issued for the Cayman Islands. The NHC said heavy rainfall and flash flooding are possible over portions of Jamaica. Beryl is expected to weaken after it passes the Cayman Islands, however, it is forecast to remain a hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean. The following watches and warnings are in place: A Hurricane Warning is in effect for: Jamaica A Hurricane Watch is in effect for: Grand Cayman Little Cayman and Cayman Brac A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for: South coast of the Dominican Republic from Punta Palenque westwardto the border with Haiti South coast of Haiti from the border with the DominicanRepublic to Anse d'Hainault The National Hurricane Center is also watching an area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms about 1,000 miles east-southeast of the Windward Islands. Forecasters said conditions are only marginally conducive for additional development as it moves across the central and western tropical Atlantic. It could bring heavy rainfall to the Lesser Antilles by midweek. It has a 30 percent chance of developing over the next seven days.